Automatic cars came in the market as a boon for people with city travel.
As the infrastructure development in India fails to keep up with the increase in vehicles every year, the problem of congestion is on the rise. Driver fatigue is a major factor which keeps daily drivers far from satisfied with their drive experience. Indeed, it is tough to handle manual transmission cars if one encounters traffic jams on a regular basis. The growing popularity of automatic cars has led to introduction of various types of automatic transmissions – torque converter, CVT, AMT and DSG.
With limited money in hand, one can opt for a used automatic car of the next segment at a price much lower than a manual car from one or two segments below. The great news is that automatic cars find a few takers in the used car market and a majority of them are used sparingly. Below, we have compiled a list of the best automatic transmission cars one can pick from the used car market.
5) Maruti Celerio AMT – The Celerio was launched in 2014 and has seen immense popularity due to its compact size, good quality interiors as well as the Maruti Suzuki badge. Mated to an AMT (Automated Manual Transmission), the Celerio promises to be high on fuel efficiency with its 1.0-litre K-Series engine. The fuel cost savings with an AMT outweigh the fact that it isn’t as seamless as conventional automatics.
4) Tata Zest Diesel AMT – Tata Zest in its fuel-burner avatar was the first to offer the convenience of an AMT. Now, the game has been upped by Maruti Suzuki with its new Dzire. Powered by a 1.3-litre diesel engine, the Zest AMT combines affordable with effortless and does offer great bang for the buck. Due to the market perception that Tata cars don’t age well, the Zest is available at a huge bargain in the used car market.
3) Honda City (Third Generation) – The third generation Honda City was launched in 2008 and sold 1.9 lakh units before it was replaced by the fourth generation City in 2013. Its butter smooth 1.5-litre petrol engine and the torque converter transmission with paddle-shifters were like a match made in heaven. This generation of the Honda City was the most sought after iteration with minimal niggles. For enthusiasts looking for a full-size sedan, City automatic would be a great choice.
2) Skoda Rapid TDI DSG – Launched in 2014, the Rapid came with a 1.5-litre diesel engine mated to a 7-speed DSG gearbox. The engine-gearbox combination translates to quick progress on the open roads with lightning-fast gear changes. While there are reliability concerns with a DSG, most of the issues have arisen on much older petrol cars. Skoda cars themselves are built like a tank and handle abuse pretty well.
1) Volkswagen Vento DSG – Available in TSI as well as TDI guise, the Vento DSG is another great automatic car available at a bargain due to Volkswagen’s not-so-great resale value. While the TDI unit is a bit audible on the inside, the TSI unit is smooth and sublime. There are a number of upgrades one can proceed with as the car is compatible with many add-ons from export versions.